1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of appliances, and more particularly, to an appliance having a display system adapted to show a leveling condition of the appliance.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
Various types of appliances are commonly placed in a wide range of environments, both in the business and domestic markets. For proper operation, many appliances must be supported in a level condition. However, when such appliances are installed, they are often supported on floors or foundations which are not perfectly flat or level. Nonetheless, it is critical that the appliance be mounted in a level and stable condition in order to function properly. This requirement can extend to a wide range of commonly known appliances, including clothes washing machines, clothes dryers, dishwashers and refrigerators.
For instance, the leveling and stabilizing of a washing machine are important in connection with the overall operation of the machine. A washing machine which is not level and stable will rock during operation and be more likely affected by unbalanced loads within the washing machine, particularly during an extraction cycle. Indeed, unlevel washing machines have been known to rock back and forth to the point that they xe2x80x9cwalkxe2x80x9d across a laundry room floor. Such motion is intolerable and numerous proposed solutions to this problem have heretofore been presented.
Typically, appliances are provided with adjustable support feet which can be selectively extended or retracted. During installation, a technician can adjust each of the feet individually until the machine is level. Most often, such adjustments are made either by delivery personnel through merely visual inspection or, alternatively, the use of a carpenter""s level. Obviously, the visual approach is not very accurate and requiring the installer to carry additional tools, such as a level, is also not desirable. In addition, even with the use of a level, various leg adjustment iterations are generally necessary, in combination with periodic shifting of the level, to achieve a final level condition.
Based on the above, there exists a need in the art of appliances for a system which can be used to readily convey a leveling condition of the appliance to an installer or user thereof. Specifically, there exists a need for a leveling system which is integrated into the appliance and incorporates a display that visually represents the level condition of the appliance.
An appliance constructed in accordance with the present invention incorporates a display system for visually representing a leveling condition of the appliance. Preferably, the leveling display system incorporates a two axis accelerometer used to determine if the machine is level and an LCD display which shows the information obtained from the accelerometer. In accordance with a preferred embodiment of the invention, the appliance includes a liquid crystal display (LCD) having a bubble icon represented on the LCD in relation to a number of concentric circles to convey the leveling condition of the appliance in both front to back and side to side directions. In practice, signals from the two axis accelerometer is sent to a controller of the appliance, whereupon the controller interprets the signals and appropriately alters the display.
In use, when installing an appliance, the installer enters a special control mode through the display such that the level icon arrangement is visually illustrated. Based on the graphic representation provided, the installer can readily determine which of various leveling legs of the appliance need to be adjusted. The installer can continue to adjust one or more of the legs, while getting constant feedback through the display, until a desired leveling condition is reached. After initial appliance installation, information from the same accelerometer can be advantageously used to convey whenever a subsequent unlevel condition, as well as other appliance conditions, arises. For instance, in the case of a clothes washing machine, an actual or incipient unbalance, a starving drain pump, or an excessive vibration condition can be sensed, with signals being relayed to the controller for suitably altering the operation of the machine and/or providing a visual warning to the user of the appliance.
Additional objects, features and advantages of the invention will become more readily apparent from the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, when taken in conjunction with the drawings wherein like reference numerals refer to corresponding parts in the several views.